PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Marijo Palavra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ray Cappo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Palavra
vs
Cappo

170 cm
23
140 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

180 cm
24
140 lbs
7 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Dangerous knees
Powerful

***** Supertouch Clothing *****

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Marijo Palavra!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ray Cappo!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cappo tries to clinch up but Palavra circles away and keeps his distance.
Palavra avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Marijo Palavra seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Palavra shoots in but Cappo avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Cappo closes the distance and pushes Palavra back into the cage.
Palavra is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Cappo gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Cappo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Palavra decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Palavra sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cappo defending well though.
Cappo is trying to stand.
Palavra blocks the strikes from Cappo.
Palavra has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Cappo keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Palavra is pressing down on Cappo's thigh, looking to free his foot. Cappo is holding on for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cappo taking some punishment here, with Palavra in his half guard.
Ground and pound from Palavra.
Cappo is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Cappo moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Palavra wants to pass the guard but Cappo is keeping the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Palavra passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Palavra is trying to get an arm triangle but Cappo is defending well.
Cappo is trying to control Palavra's posture but Palavra avoids it.
Cappo is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Palavra off and has taken his back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Palavra prevents Cappo from getting a body triangle.
Palavra is trying to break free.
Palavra is covering up but some of the strikes from Cappo are getting through and doing damage.

Cappo looking to break Palavra's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Palavra remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Cappo will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Cappo is looking for a rear naked choke here but Palavra reverses the position brilliantly into Cappo's guard!
Palavra stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cappo swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Palavra passes Cappo's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Cappo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Palavra is controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Palavra tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Cappo.
Cappo trying to control from the bottom.
Cappo strikes from the bottom but Palavra passes into mount!
Palavra punishing his opponent with strikes.
Palavra avoids the attempt from Cappo to control.
Cappo is working to get back to half guard.
Cappo slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cappo trying to control but Palavra postures up.

Palavra looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Palavra wants to work for an arm triangle but Cappo is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Cappo tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cappo is staying active underneath Palavra, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Cappo is pressing down on Palavra's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Palavra stops Cappo from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ray Cappo will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

No luck for Palavra with that takedown attempt.
Palavra tries for a takedown but Cappo circles away easily
and Cappo makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Palavra shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cappo as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marijo Palavra. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cappo shoots in but no luck this time.

Palavra looking to score a takedown here. Cappo is defending well but Palavra drives through and ends up in Cappo's guard.
Cappo is trying to control the position but Palavra postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cappo is on top in guard.
Palavra keeping moving, preventing Cappo from controlling successfully.
Cappo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Palavra is keeping the position for now.
Cappo sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Palavra's guard.
Ray Cappo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cappo wants to pass the guard but Palavra is defending well.
Palavra keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Cappo seems to be looking for submissions.
Palavra is trying to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cappo is keen to just control but Palavra is a slippery customer.

Palavra makes his way to full guard, as Cappo worked for a kimura.

Cappo gets to his feet - Palavra follows without any prompting.

Cappo clinches.
Cappo throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Cappo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Palavra does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cappo has Palavra up against the cage in a clinch.
Cappo gets underhooks to prevent Palavra's takedown attempt.

Cappo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cappo displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Palavra.
Palavra throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Marijo Palavra is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Cappo tries to sprawl but Palavra drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Cappo is trying to stand up here but Palavra is controlling him well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Palavra is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Cappo sees it coming and defends easily.
Cappo is trying to stand up here but Palavra is controlling him well.

Palavra is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Cappo doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Palavra.
Cappo slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cappo controls Palavra momentarily but Palavra frees himself.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Palavra trying to control but Cappo is working from the bottom.
Palavra looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ray Cappo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Palavra shoots for a takedown but Cappo saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Palavra shoots in but Cappo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cappo tries to clinch but Palavra is having none of it.
Cappo tries to clinch but Palavra is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Cappo as Palavra shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marijo Palavra. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Palavra has his takedown stuffed

and Cappo counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Palavra!
Cappo postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Palavra looks a forlorn figure.
Cappo misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Cappo controlling from mount.
Palavra holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Cappo tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Palavra is in a horrible position here. Cappo smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Cappo is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Palavra has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Palavra!

Cappo has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Palavra can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Palavra cracks Cappo with a solid left hand.

Cappo has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Palavra is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Cappo.
Palavra in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cappo is trying to improve his position.
Cappo is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Palavra asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Palavra landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Cappo takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Cappo is looking to regain half guard here but Palavra keeps moving and retains side control.

Palavra thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Palavra tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Palavra has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Palavra is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Cappo has escaped the position, nice work there.
Cappo is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Palavra asserts his dominance and retains side control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Palavra working away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ray Cappo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Cappo has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:30
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ray Cappo!
Ray Cappo decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.